Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Atharva Veda: Sri Aurobindo Kapali Shastry Institute of Vedic Culture
Atharva Veda: Sri Aurobindo Kapali Shastry Institute of Vedic Culture
Phone: +91-80-26556315
Email: info@vedah.com
Web: www.vedah.org
Atharva Veda
TABLE OF CONTENT
Overview
Arithmetic: Numbers and decimal system
Assembly & the Council
Ayurvedic concepts
Caste and Professions
Choice of Husband
International Concord
Deities or Gods
Hymn to Earth or bhumi sukta
Education, Vedic
Family concord
Foes & Defense
Good sayings or subhashita
Many Languages
Lotus and the three gunas
Marriage
Sanctity of Atharvaveda
Slavery
Spiritual and philosophical hymns
SAKSIVC Page 2 of 67
Atharva Veda
Tapas
Time or kala
Vak or Speech
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 3 of 67
Atharva Veda
Overview
About a hundred suktas have only one or two verses. They are all revealed to
the descendants or disciples of the lineage of the seers, Atharvan and Angiras.
There is about twenty percent overlap between Rigveda Samhita and
Atharvaveda Samhita. [about 1,200 mantras].
There is a continuity of the Hindu thought from the ancient Vedic times upto the
present day. So much so that many of the epigrams or subhashitas found in all
Indian languages, not just Sanskrit, can be traced to the Atharvaveda Samhita.
Some of them are in section “Epigrams”. Atharvaveda verses embody
considerable symbolism. Please see section “Symbolism”.
We give below a broad outline of the AVS, with the number of hymns in the
parenthesis.
2. Various devas like Agni, Indra, Sun etc and their psychological powers (100)
SAKSIVC Page 4 of 67
Atharva Veda
Whitney, Winternitz etc., and their Indian followers stating that Atharvaveda is
full of black magic spells and witchcraft. B.K. Ghosh’s statement “The
Atharvaveda is utterly different from the other three vedas. It remained
essentially what it was from the start—a prayer book of the simple folk, haunted
by ghosts and exploited by brahmins”, reflects on his political posture and on his
ignorance of the entire book. The irony is that this statement occurs in a chapter
in the book ‘Vedic Age’ edited by R.C. Majumdar and published by the Bharatiya
Vidya Bhavan, 1965 with the explicit aim of presenting a history of India from
the Indian point of view!
However it is also appropriate to point out that the basis for all the translation of
the western scholars is the Sanskrit commentary by the great scholar Sayana. He
felt that the main use of the mantras of the Veda is for the performance of
rituals. In many places, he gave a very narrow ritual-based meaning for verses
expressing profound wisdom.
[Most of the translation are from the book “Hymns of the Vedas” by Abinash C.
Bose; Publishers: Asia (1967)]
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 5 of 67
Atharva Veda
The names for the numbers one to nine found in Rig Veda are eka, dve, tri,
chatur, pancha, shat, sapta, ashta, nava. The names for ten, twenty......, ninety
occur in RV (2.18.5-6). The intermediate numbers have appropriate names. For
instance ninety-four is termed four plus ninety. Nineteen is expressed one less
than twenty etc. RV (3.9.9) has a number 3339 spelled as three thousand, three
hundred and thirty nine. Rig Veda has more than a hundred references to
numbers.
The Shukla Yajurveda (17.2) mentions the numbers upto ten raised to the power
of 12 in steps of powers of 10, namely ayuta (104), niyuta (105), payuta (106)
arbuda (107), nyarbuda (108), samudra (109), madhya (1010), anta (1011),
parardha (1012), etc. A similar list in Taittiriiya Samhita [Krishna Yajur Veda]
(4.4.11) and (7.2.20.1). Maitrayani Samhita 2.8.12; Kathaka Samhita (17.10)
etc.
The Atharvaveda Samhita (6.25.1 thru 6.25.3, 7.4.1) specially emphasizes the
common relationship between one and ten, three and thirty, five and fifty, nine
and ninety, clearly indicating that the persons of the Vedic age had a good grasp
of the basics of decimal system for positive integers.
The number four three two (four hundred and thirty two) million occurring
frequently in Sanskrit works occurs in A tharva Veda (8.3.21).
Ayuta is ten thousand and shatam cha ayutam is one million. The number is read
in reverse order by the standard convention.
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 6 of 67
Atharva Veda
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 7 of 67
Atharva Veda
Ayurvedic concepts
There are many suktas dealing with healing and the extension of life. Hence
Ayurveda, the science of medicine in ancient and medieval India [which is having
a renaissance both in India and abroad] is called as an upaveda or auxiliary Veda
of Atharva Veda.
The three basic types of human constitution namely vata, pitta and kapha are
already mentioned in AV. Several specific diseases including some communicated
by worms or germs are indicated and their methods of cure. The cures by herbs
are mentioned. The protection offered by several prayers which act like kavacha
or armour against the intruding vital forces are mentioned in many places. This
idea has been developed further in the tantric literature which describe several
kavacha-prayers due to the goddess Durga, Vishnu etc. One interesting sukta in
this family in the ayuh (life-span) sukta (8.1). The poem begins with a prayer to
the god of death antaka and exhorts the human being to have the goal of
continuous improvement, i.e., go up and up continuously and eventually reach
the status of all-round perfection or the chariot of immortality, amrta ratha.
Prana and apana, the two complimentary forces which maintain our living
condition are prayed to be equal.
See also the essays, "Health, bliss and Ayurveda", "Symbolism of arrow and
reed".
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 8 of 67
Atharva Veda
The usual question is, “does Atharvaveda mention the caste system?",
“Specifically is the shudra or labouring class mentioned?”. The word shudra or its
equivalent does not occur in the Atharvaveda. The word visha means all persons
or workers, which includes traders, merchants, (vanija), chariot makers
(rathakara) smiths (karmara), agriculture workers who operate the implements
like plow, yoke and the workers who build houses (3.12). Thus visha was later
subdivided into vaishya and shudra. Even in the times of Bhagavad Gita, vaishya
included both traders, agriculture workers and artisans; all the unskilled labour
was classified as shudra. The Yajurveda’s prayer [Shukla Yajurveda, Vajasaneyi
Samhita (18.48)] shows an equal attitude to all the four types of workers.
Again some orthodox persons say that a shudra is not fit to hear the Veda. There
is no support for such a statement in the vedas. On the contrary, Shukla
Yajurveda (26.2) explicitly states;
“May I speak the sacred word to the masses of the people—to the brahmana,
rajanya (kshatriya), to the shudra and vaishya, and to our own men and the
strangers”.
Note shudra takes priority over vaishya. Note the word strangers.
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 9 of 67
Atharva Veda
Choice of Husband
Was there child marriage in Vedic times? The answer is no. The word for the
bridegroom is vara, the chosen one. In the case of kshatriya or ruling clan, it is
well documented that the bride chooses the groom among several suitors.
"The happy and beautiful bride chooses (vanute) by herself (svayam) her own
husband". RV (27.12)
There appears to be have been a practice of friends of the boy or girl helping
with the search for a spouse.
The phrase ‘with locks of hair...’ indicate that the go-between was a young male.
The entire hymn AV (6.60).
Rig Veda (10.85.26), (10.85.27) and AV (14.1) and (14.2) explicitly state that the
bride is asked to address the assembly vidatha in which the sages speak
eloquently. Hence there was no custom like purda of keeping women away from
social or scholastic gatherings. Both men and women attended these meetings.
Rishi: Atharvan
SAKSIVC Page 10 of 67
Atharva Veda
SAKSIVC Page 11 of 67
Atharva Veda
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 12 of 67
Atharva Veda
International Concord
Rishi: Atharvan
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 13 of 67
Atharva Veda
Deities or Gods
There are more than a hundred hymns to the various devas like Agni, Varuna
etc., which can be understood in many ways, especially as recepticles of
psychological wisdom. The hymn to Varuna, the lord of infinities and the Divine
observer AV (4.16) is given here.
We give below the hymn of Varuna, the god of Vastness. Note particularly the
epithet used in the last verse (Verse 8). He exist everywhere, he is divine, he is
human.
Rishi: Brahma
SAKSIVC Page 14 of 67
Atharva Veda
SAKSIVC Page 15 of 67
Atharva Veda
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 16 of 67
Atharva Veda
"Whatever I dig from thee, Earth may that have quick growth again;
O purifier, may we not injure thy vitals or thy heart (12.1.35)."
SAKSIVC Page 17 of 67
Atharva Veda
Earth, in which lie the sea, the river and other waters,
in which food and cornfields have come to be,
in which live all that breathes and that moves,
may she confer on us the finest of her yield. ----------- (3)
SAKSIVC Page 18 of 67
Atharva Veda
Set me, O Earth, amidst what is thy centre and thy navel,
and vitalising forces that emanated from thy body.
Purify us from all sides. Earth is my mother, her son am I;
and Parjanya my, father: may he fill us with plenty. ----------- (12)
SAKSIVC Page 19 of 67
Atharva Veda
SAKSIVC Page 20 of 67
Atharva Veda
SAKSIVC Page 21 of 67
Atharva Veda
SAKSIVC Page 22 of 67
Atharva Veda
SAKSIVC Page 23 of 67
Atharva Veda
and the hyena, the wolf, the bear with its evil ways, and Rakshasas,
drive these out, O Earth, from here, away from us. ----------- (49)
Earth in which Night and Day - the black and the bright in union -
are settled,
which is covered and canopied over by rain -
may she establish us with bliss
in every dear home. (52)
I am victorious,
I am called the most exalted on the earth,
a conqueror everywhere,
a conqueror over everything,
I am a victor on every side. ----------- (54)
SAKSIVC Page 24 of 67
Atharva Veda
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 25 of 67
Atharva Veda
Education, Vedic
There are ten hymns in Atharva Veda on this topic. Usually brahmacharya is
translated as celibacy. But its literal meaning is “to move in Brahma” or “to move
towards the supreme state of consciousness named as Brahman.” Typically it
signifies the comprehensive education received by a young person in Vedic times
before s/he married and led the family life. The education includes not only the
study of the various subjects but also the spiritual initiation, diksha by special
methods. Diksha even today is an important aspect of spiritual life.
The hymn (11.5) in Atharvaveda is the earliest attempt to describe the process
of diksha or initiation by a teacher or guru. The knowledge is imparted by an
occult means. Modern spiritual biographies like “The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna”
describe this process in some detail. This hymn metaphorically describes the rishi
as keeping the disciple in his womb, impart power to him and make him grow.
This procedure is represented symbolically even today in the ceremony of sacred
thread upanayanam by enclosing the disciple and the teacher by a single cloth
and the teacher giving the mantra to the disciple in his ear.
We see here the first occurrence of the words prana, apana, vyana in the Indian
tradition.
SAKSIVC Page 26 of 67
Atharva Veda
Rishi: Brahma
SAKSIVC Page 27 of 67
Atharva Veda
In fire, in the sun, the moon, the wind, and the water
the brahmacharin place the sacrificial wood,
the rays of light move severally to the cloud,
the molten butter is man, and rain and waters. ----------- (13)
SAKSIVC Page 28 of 67
Atharva Veda
SAKSIVC Page 29 of 67
Atharva Veda
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 30 of 67
Atharva Veda
Family concord
Hymn (3.30) sets the ideal for Hindu joint family. This hymn of seven verses
describes the harmony among all the Gods. There is no conflict among the Vedic
devas as in the polytheistic gods of Greeks. The hymn declares that the devas
will bestow this concord among the members of the family. The hymn sets the
ideal of the Hindu joint family.
SAKSIVC Page 31 of 67
Atharva Veda
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 32 of 67
Atharva Veda
There are over sixty hymns dealing with destruction of enemies. A close
inspection reveals that they deal with psychological enemies like greed, anger
jealousy etc. For instance (8.4.22) refers to the six psychological foes described
in the section on symbolism. (2.12) is a prayer for the destruction of forces who
obstruct the tapas or chanting. (2.19) is a prayer to Agni for protection. Recall
Agni is the will power. The prayer is that our psychological power may overpower
the foes. (4.40) is a prayer for protection from demonic forces operating in
different directions. Of course, the king is there to protect his people from
enemies. This aspect is mentioned in several hymns.
Rishi: Brahma
SAKSIVC Page 33 of 67
Atharva Veda
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 34 of 67
Atharva Veda
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 35 of 67
Atharva Veda
There are 213 hymns in this category. The sages of Atharvaveda did not define
health as mere absence of disease or define a million diseases with an associated
cornucopia of pills and herbs for curing them. First they asked the question, ‘why
live long’, and answered it in (19.67).
"For a hundred autumns, may we see,
The idea is that we should ponder over what we are, what state we want to
attain, what we want to know, how we want to live etc.
They also felt that bliss was all-round us and we only have to become conscious
of it in every encounter.
The comprehensive well being of all senses and organs is given in AV (19.60).
We are called upon to face life bravely. Our life is often rocky in its nature.
We should not fear anyone, known or unknown, friend or foe. This topic is
discussed in AV (12.2) & AV (19.15)
Rishi: Brahma
SAKSIVC Page 36 of 67
Atharva Veda
Rishi: Bhrgu
Rishi: Atharvan
Free us Indra, from the fear of all that we are afraid of.
May, thou, with thy saving power,
turn away the hater and the enemy. ----------- (1)
SAKSIVC Page 37 of 67
Atharva Veda
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 38 of 67
Atharva Veda
Hospitality was a characteristic of the Vedic life; especially the wandering ascetic,
pravrajaka, was highly respected. He is called vrtya.
"Let him rise up of his own accord to meet the vrtya and say, vrtya, where did
you stop overnight?
Here is water, let it refresh thee...”(15.11)
The status of the wandering monk was even greater than that of the king as
declared in (15.10).
"Let us have concord with our own people, And concord with strangers;
Ashvins, create between us and strangers a unity of heart. (7.52) ".
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 39 of 67
Atharva Veda
House
In the Veda, house can be interpreted as either our subtle body or as the
external physical residence. Constructing the subtle body means developing all
the requisite psychological qualities which have a structure of their own.
The house is an important aspect of family and there are two hymns related to it
(3.12) and (9.3), including its consecration.
The house could be of many sizes, 2-sided, 4-sided, 6-sided, 8-sided and 10-
sided. (9.3.21).
The dwelling is said to be built by poets, kavi (9.3.19) indicating the high regard
of the society for both builders and designers. The house is said to be the home
of Soma or delight (9.3.19). The house, it is said, adjusts itself to all just like a
new bride adjusts herself to all members of the joint family.
The Vedic poets viewed a house not merely as a inanimate block of sand and
grass, but as a living and conscious entity. The divinity associated with the house
is addressed in (3.12.5).
“Queen of the mansion, our shelter, kind goddess, thou art made by the devas.
May thou, robed in grass, be gracious to us
And give us great heroes and felicities”.
The house consecration ceremony described in (3.12) is similar to the one done
even today in Hindu families on entering a new home.
Rishi: Brahman
SAKSIVC Page 40 of 67
Atharva Veda
SAKSIVC Page 41 of 67
Atharva Veda
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 42 of 67
Atharva Veda
The teachers wanted to spread the knowledge among all persons, irrespective of
caste as declared in AV (6.69).
The hymn on harvest gathering (3.24) states that the “Deity also dwells in the
houses of those (ayajvanah) who do not perform yajna-rituals”. This phrase
could refer to the unskilled labour class; but the Veda does not downgrade them,
i.e., the deity dwells in their homes just as in the homes of the higher caste
persons. AV (6.19.1) explicitly prays for the psychological purification of all
persons.
Rishi: Atharvan
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 43 of 67
Atharva Veda
Many Languages
The sukta on bhumi or earth (12.1) clearly mentions that the people spoke
different languages and had different dharmas or religions. To translate dharma
as mere custom is to miss the full significance of the word.
AV (12.1.45)
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 44 of 67
Atharva Veda
The description of a human being in terms of nine lotus petals and the three
gunas or qualities occurs repeatedly in Vedantic literature. Its first appearance is
Atharva Veda (10.8.43) and (10.8.44) given below.
The three bands in the above verse are the three gunas or psychological
qualities well known later as tamas, rajas and sattwa, inertia, uncontrolled
activity, balanced dynamism.
In the hymn (10.2) there is a description of the structure of human being which
can be understood either physiologically or psychologically or in a spiritual
setting.
In (10.2.31) we have the first mention of the nine doors and the eight lotuses
which have been discussed at great length in the tantrik and yogic literature;
Nine doored with eight lotuses is the impregnable strong hole of gods;
In that is a golden vessel which is covered with light and leads to the Heaven
(10.2.31).
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 45 of 67
Atharva Veda
Marriage
Some of the most poetic hymns in Atharvaveda come under this category. Hymn
(14.1) having 64 verses and Hymn (14.2) having 75 verses, hymns (7.36),
(7.35), (2.36) and (6.60).
The hymns (14.1) and (14.2) have most of the verses of the famous marriage
hymn of Rigveda Samhita (10.85).
The marriage hymns deal with the symbolic marriage between Knowledge and
Delight typified by the bride Surya and the bridegroom Soma. We will give only
two verses from these two hymns.
While going from the bride's father’s house to his own house, the bridegroom
utters the following to his spouse:
The “cucumber” phrase occurs in the famous tryambaka verse in RV (7.52) with
the phrase “Here and there” having a different meaning. In AV, ''here'' signifies
bride’s father’s house and “there”, his own house. In the RV, "here" means the
“pleasures of this world”; "there" means the “sphere of immortality and bliss”.
SAKSIVC Page 46 of 67
Atharva Veda
The next quote is from AV (7.37). The practice of enveloping the couple with a
robe mentioned here is still followed in some parts of India.
SAKSIVC Page 47 of 67
Atharva Veda
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 48 of 67
Atharva Veda
In Vedic period there was no order of Sanyas; but wandering monks were there;
they had no fixed abode. They were respected in every village on their arrival.
Rishi: Atharvan
Rishi: Atharvan
So let the King to whose house the vratya who possesses this
knowledge comes as a guest, ------------------- (1)
From him verily the spiritual power and the ruling power
arose. ------------------- (3)
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 49 of 67
Atharva Veda
Oneness
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 50 of 67
Atharva Veda
The Atharvaveda (6.64) calls for extended debates on all topics leading to a
unanimous conclusion. This hymn of 3 verses (6.64) is same as RV (10.191.2-4).
Sri Aurobindo in his book “The ideal of human unity” regards the verse as the
earliest instance of the human aspiration for a global society in which all disputes
can be settled harmoniously in a manner satisfactory to all parties. The meeting
should end with a unanimous resolution.
Knowledge of all
All were called upon to invoke the Divine Word which will give the right intuition
in solving problems.
SAKSIVC Page 51 of 67
Atharva Veda
The teacher wanted to spread the wisdom among all persons. There was no
attempt at keeping the people ignorant.
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 52 of 67
Atharva Veda
Sanctity of Atharvaveda
Some persons feel that the veda samhitas or collections are only three and
Atharvaveda was a later addition and hence not sacred as the other thee. We
disagree. The tradition of vedas being four is supported explicitly by major
upanishads such as Brhadaranyaka [2.4.10] and the Mundaka [1.1.5],
Mahabharata, Vishnu purana and the great grammarian Patanjali in his
Mahabhashya in his commentary on the Rig Vedic verse (4.48.6) beginning with
Chatvari Shrnga. Major Upanishads like Mundaka, Mandukya and Prashna etc.,
belong to the Atharva Veda.
The phrase ‘Vedas are Three’ occurring in some places means that there are only
three types of mantras namely rik, yajus and sama, as mentioned in the essay
‘About the four vedas’. Atharvaveda refers to three types of mantras in AV
(10.7.14). Most of the mantras in Atharvaveda are classified as riks since they
are metrical.
Atharvaveda calls itself by other names such as Brahma Veda AV (15.6.8) and
Atharva-Angiirasa Veda AV (10.7.20) and the Veda of healing or Bhaishajya Veda
AV (11.6.14). Shatapatha Brahmana calls it as the Kshatra Veda [the Veda
dealing with polity and governance of society] AV (14.8.14) and also as Angiro
Veda (13.4.3). The appropriateness of these names comes from the fact that AV
Samhita has a large number of hymns on the associated topics.
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 53 of 67
Atharva Veda
Slavery
The idea that there was slavery in the Vedic Society originated with the Western
Indologists with their intentional or careless translation of a Sanskrit word into
“slave”.
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 54 of 67
Atharva Veda
Recall that Atharva Veda calls itself as the Brahma Veda [15.6.8], the Veda of
spiritual knowledge. There are about 190 hymns in this category if we include
the hymns to the individual devas like the spiritual Sun, Agni who all
psychological powers.
The hymns 9.9 and 9.10 are also in RV (1.164), asya vamasya; all of these
verses can be interpreted only in a spiritual way. This hymn has the famous
verse ‘The supreme one is called by various names’. It also has the famous verse
involving two birds in AV [9.9.20] which occurs also in RV [1.164] and in the
Mundaka Upanishad. It has several famous aphorisms quoted in our subhashitas
or good sayings.
The hymn (10.7) of 44 verses entitled skambha or pillar which supports all
manifestation is dedicated to the eternal entity or Brahman which existed before
the manifested universe. It is called as a basis for everything, sarva dhara in
which everything is established.
We give here 2 verses in this hymn dealing with existence and non existence
hymn.
The hymn (8.9) dedicated to Virat or the wonders of the origins and
manifestation is highly symbolic. We will quote only one verse (8.9.10).
SAKSIVC Page 55 of 67
Atharva Veda
The pairness in the first line refers to all the pairs of opposites in the unwise like
one and many, pain and pleasure, victory and defeat, fate and free will etc.
Whitney renders the key word pairness mithunatva as sex.
Rishi: Atharvan
Towards whom does the fire that rises shine with longing?
towards whom does the wind with longing blow?
Tell me of the Support of the universe: who, the One among many, is he
towards whom all the pathways turn? ------------------- (4)
SAKSIVC Page 56 of 67
Atharva Veda
Tell me of the Support of the universe: who, the One among many, is he
to whom the seasons and the groups of seasons move? ------------------- (5)
Tell me of the Support of the universe: who, the One among many, is he
in whom the Lord of life found his prop
while he upheld all the worlds? ------------------- (7)
How much of the past has the Support of the universe entered?
by what part of him has he penetrated the future?
and, of that one part which he has made thousand-fold,
how much has the Support of the universe entered? ------------------- (9)
Tell me of that Support of the universe: who, the One among m any, is he
in whom people have found the worlds and their enclosures,
and waters and sacred lore,
and found non-existence and existence at their end? ------------------- (10)
Tell me of the Support of the universe: who, the One among many, is he
in whom tapas, becoming powerful,
attaches itself to the highest Dedication,
and found non-existence and Devotion are united together? -------------------
(11)
Tell me of the Support of the universe: who, the One among many, is he
in whom earth, mid-region and sky
have had their foundation,
on whom rest agni, chandramas, surya and vata? ------------------- (12)
SAKSIVC Page 57 of 67
Atharva Veda
SAKSIVC Page 58 of 67
Atharva Veda
SAKSIVC Page 59 of 67
Atharva Veda
SAKSIVC Page 60 of 67
Atharva Veda
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 61 of 67
Atharva Veda
Many a verse of Atharva Veda can be understood at different levels just like the
verses of Rig Veda as discussed in the essay on Rig Veda. For illustration
consider AV (8.4.22). It describes the six psychological foes known to any
average student of Sanskrit literature or Kannada literature namely kama, lust,
krodha anger or wrath, lobha, greed, moha, delusion, mada arrogance,
matsarya, jealousy. Each one of them is symbolised by an animal or bird in
Sanskrit literature, namely, owl with delusion, wolf with anger, dog with jealousy,
chakravaka with lust, eagle with arrogance and vulture with greed.
Any student in Sanskrit knows about the love stricken chakravaka birds. In
Indian English a popular phrase is the ‘dog in the manger policy’, i.e., dog
neither eats the grass nor allows the cow to eat the grass in the manger’.
In Indian myths eagles are described as brimming with arrogance with their
ability to cross over any obstacle. There are many stories in the puranas of the
mythical eagle Garuda and its humiliation at the hands of the lord Vishnu.
O Indra, kill the delusion (owl); kill the anger (wolf), kill the jealousy (dog), kill
the lust (chakravaka), kill the arrogance (eagle), kill the greed (vulture).
The translation of this verse by the “authority” Whitney speaks for itself:
“The owl sorcerer, the owlet sorcerer smite thou, the dog sorcerer and the
cuckoo sorcerer the eagle sorcerer and the vulture sorcerer-do thou destroy the
demon as if with a mill stone”.
SAKSIVC Page 62 of 67
Atharva Veda
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 63 of 67
Atharva Veda
"We know parjanya of virility, the father of shara. I will make you happy (sham).
Let the earth have the outpouring for thee with a splash". The Sanskrit word
shara has been retained without translation.
The first five verses of this hymn are identical except that Parjanya is replaced by
the names of Mitra, Varuna, Chandra and Surya. Since in the sixth verse the
word mutra occurs, meaning urine, shara in the verse is translated as reed.
Hence the verse is assumed to deal with the release of the blocked urine by
using a reed, as declared by Sayana and Whitney. The only question is, why call
so many Gods (devas) for this operation?
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 64 of 67
Atharva Veda
Tapas
may we be dear to the Veda, long lived and bright in intellect (7.61.1)."
So may we, listening to the sacred lore, Be long-lived and bright in intellect."
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 65 of 67
Atharva Veda
Time or kala
There are six suktas dealing with time or kala. The sages knew the distinction
between the methods of marking time and the abstract concept of time itself.
The seasons mark the passage of time. But the Atharva Vedic sages declare in
the hymns (19.53) and (19.54) that time is an abstract entity which causes all
the dynamics seen in the universe. (19.53.6) declares that time created earth,
the sun burns in time, all existences are defined in time. (19.53.7) declares that
the concept of mind exists in time only because we know the mind by the
changes in our thoughts etc and all changing entities exist in time only.
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 66 of 67
Atharva Veda
Vak or Speech
Vak, the power of the potent word which is behind all the dynamism of the
manifestation is described in (7.66).
˜™
SAKSIVC Page 67 of 67